Wrench.



rnnnnnrox n. WALDEN, OF wonensrnn, irassacn'nsnrrs,

assrelvon To wA nnN TOOL COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSAGH'US ETTS, A CORPORATION 8F MASSACHUSETTS.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 8, 1912. Serial No. 682,467.

To all who-m may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. WALDEN, a citizen-of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Worcester, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This wrench is one wherein two relatively inclined jaws are located at the extremities of resilient arms, and the object of my invention is the construction of improved means for removably binding said arms together. Said means consists essentially in a wire helix adapted to embrace the extremities of said arms and to hold them against displacement when in use.

teferring to the drawings forming part of this specification Figure 1 is a side view of a wrench made in accordance with my in vention. Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the same. Fig. 8 is a similar section but without the wire helix. Fig. 1 is a cross section on the line XX in Fig. 1. Fig. 5

is a cross section on the line Y-Y in Fig. 1'.

In the drawings, the elongated arms 3 and 4: are provided with angularly disposed jaws l and 2, the outermost one of which is toothed and the other of which is preferably smooth. The shanks 5 and 6 of these arms are made flat on their adjacent surfaces, as shown in Fig. 4, but rounded on their opposite surfaces 7 said flat surfaces 9 being adapted for separating said arms a limited distance. About the two shanks are wrapped the coils of a flat helix 8 adapted to hold saidshanks snugly together and thereby retain the arms and aws in operative position. This coil, while thus holding the shanks together, is adapted to permit a relative sliding adjustment of the two arms and thereby to vary the capacity of the clamping jaws. For the latter function, the contacting surfaces 9 are formed with notches 10, into two adjacent ones of which a terminal 11 of the helix is introduced, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Since this terminal is located one half in one notch and the other half in the notch of the other shank, the shanks are locked against relative longitudinal displacement. In addition to thus locking the said parts together, said terminal serves to fix the helix in place and to keep it from slipping off from the shanks. Otherwise, the helix thereby provided for might pull off whilethe wrench was being strongly operated, and thereby not 1 only cause vexation but a possible injury to the user; I have found that it is practically impossible to freely introduce andremove said terminal from the notches in case it is bent directly down from the coil, as illustrated in Fig. a; but by forming the terminal at the end of a lateral offset 12, it can be inserted and withdrawn with ease. This offset is shown in Fig.1.

It is suiiicient to provide one of the shanks, as that numbered 5, with but a single notch 10, the several notches for permitting the de scribed adjustment being formed in the shank 6 alone. It is found that, the helix being flexible, it

Patented Get. 13, 1914. i

cannot act to keep the armsand shanks from relative angular displacement in the plane of the surfaces 9. I there fore cut in the said surfaces two longitudinally disposed coacting notches 13, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, into which an axially arranged helix terminal 14 is adapted to be thrust for substantially the entire length of the helix. This terminal serves as a key to lock the shanks against any of the above described angular displacement.

As shown in Fig. 2, the junction of the terminal 14 with the helix is curved similar to the end of the shank 5 for the sake of neatness in appearance, the longitudinal adjustment of they shank and arm. 6, 4: being thereby practically concealed. By not cutting the notch. or channel 13 inthe shank 5 entirely through to the butt-end of the latter, as indicated in F ig. 2, so that such uncut portion overlaps the curved part or junction 15, the helix is prevented from elongating and coming off from the shanks at its outer extremity. Another advantage of this helix, additional to its economy and effectiveness as a binding means for the shanks, is the fluted or corrugated surface the better grip of the handle-end of the wrench.

By forming the two parts of the wrench separable, instead of in a single integral member, the same can be drop-forged or stamped at a far less cost and in a more perfect condition than otherwise. Further, by prying up the terminal 11 and slipping off the helix, the jaws can be separately gotten at for the purpose of regrinding and sharpening the same.

hat I claim as my invention and for which I desire Letter Patent is as follows, to wit l. A wrench comprising two shanks each having a jaw, and a tubular handle slidably inclosing said shanks, said handle being composed of wire one end or" which is adapted to press into engagement with one of said shanks, the latter being notched for receiving said wire end.

2. A wrench comprising jaws, shanks carrying said jaws, and a wire helix inclosing and binding together said shanks, said helix being adapted for locking said shanks against relative longitudinal displacement.

3. A wrench comprising jaws, shanks carrying said jaws, said shanks bein slidable one along the other, and a removable binding means inclosing said shanks and adapted for locking them against relative lon tudinal displacement.

4. A wrench comprising jaws, shanks carrying said jaws, said shanks being slidable one along the other, one or more notches being formed in both contacting surfaces, and a removable binding means inclosing said shanks and having a projection adapted to be introduced into two opposing notches of the shanks and thereby to lock the latter against relative longitudinal displacement.

5. A wrench comprising jaws, shanks carrying said jaws, a wire helix adapted to bind said shanks together, and means in cluding a terminal of said helix for locking said shanks against relative longitudinal displacement.

6. A wrench comprising jaws, shanks carrying said jaws, said shanks having notches in their contacting surfaces, and a helix binding said shanks together and having a terminal section adapted to be introduced into two opposing notches in the shanks.

7. A wrench comprising jaws, shanks carrying said jaws, said shanks having notches in their contacting surfaces, and a helix having a diametrically disposed terminal section offset from the helix and adapted to he introduced into two opposing notches in said shanks.

8. A. wrench comprising jaws, shanks carrying said jaws, said shanks having longitudinal notches or channels in their contacting surfaces, and a wire helix embracing said shanks and having an axially disposed terminal section adapted to be introduced within said channels and thereby to insure the shanks against relative angular displacement.

9. A wrench comprising jaws, shanks carrying said jaws, each shank having a longitudinal channel in its contacting surface, one channel being not cut entirely through to the outer end of its shank, and a wire helix embracing said shanks and having an axially disposed terminal section adapted to be introduced within said channels and to be overlapped by the incomplete part of said channel.

10. A wrench comprising jaws, shanks carrying said jaws, each shank having a transverse notch in its contacting surface and also a longitudinally disposed channel, and a wire helix having one terminal adapted to be introduced within the transverse notches, and an axially disposed terminal section adapted to be introduced within the longitudinal channels.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention, I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of March, 1912.

FREDERICK E. WALDEN.

Vitnesses A. B. UPHAM, H. L. WHITTLESEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. G. 

